Fame-style school will be first fully selective academy

Ministers will today unveil plans for the first fully selective academy, a "Fame-style" performing arts school in Birmingham where pupils will have to audition to get a place.

The school is based on the Brit school in Croydon, south London, where Amy Winehouse, Kate Nash and the Kooks trained, and is being co-sponsored by a university. It will be launched by the academies minister, Lord Adonis, as part of a major new academy project for the city.

It includes two other academies, one of which is being sponsored by an ancient educational charity which runs a string of private and grammar schools. The new schools reflect the government's efforts to woo universities and private schools into the state-funded school sector and get local authorities to coordinate academies. There will be seven local authority co-sponsored academies in the city, second only to Manchester's nine.

Lord Adonis said that although the academy would select on pupils' aptitude in the performing arts, it would be academically mixed.

"It's a performing arts schools supported by one of Birmingham's universities with a prestigious organisation which has previously only run private and grammar schools as part of a multi-academy package organised by the local authority. It's precisely the mission of the academy programme nationwide," he said.

"Birmingham and Manchester now have the largest academy programmes in the country, showing the determination of our major cities to drive educational transformation by means of academies."

He confirmed that five other cities were in talks about similar deals.

The West Midlands Eastside academy will cater for 950 pupils aged 14-19. It is being sponsored by the Ormiston Trust and Birmingham City University, in partnership with the BBC, the Brit school and Birmingham city council. Other partners include Maverick TV, which makes the TV show How to Look Good Naked.

The King Edward VI Foundation, which manages two private schools and five state grammar schools in Birmingham, will sponsor Sheldon Heath school. Edutrust, which is operating academy plans in eight separate areas, will sponsor the College high school.

The leader of the city council, Mike Whitby, said: "This is an exciting day for the future of education in the city of Birmingham.

"We have a vision to transform education across the city, so that all our young people can benefit from excellent schools and the best opportunities in life, both academically and socially."

There are now 83 academies, with 133 expected by September next year and 230 by 2010. Sponsors contribute £2m to the Academy Trust endowment fund.